This solution is probably more suited to the smaller business model as it requires separate installation at every workstation, unless you utilize the separate deployment console BitDefender Enterprise. This allows the installation, scanning, uninstall or the change of settings on all machines in the network. It can also be deployed across the larger network using wireless application protocol (WAP).
It isn't just an anti-virus solution, but offers the user a personal firewall too.
BitDefender gives its users six modules for their system protection. The first is Murphy Shield, which provides real time on-access scanning to watch out for any modifications to your files or system folders, as well as protection for POP3 mail clients and filtering of ActiveX, Java applets, Java scripts or Visual Basic scripts while accessing the internet.
BitDefender Live delivers an automatic self-disinfection if the program becomes contaminated, and daily updates, while BitDefender Quarantine moves infected files for later analysis.
BitDefender Scheduler allows scanning to be set at periodic intervals and for different locations and BitDefender P2P gives additional peace of mind for viruses that may enter a system via P2P applications, such as ICQ, Net Meeting, Yahoo! Messenger and MSN messenger.
The last module is BitDefender Shell Extension, which allows the user to scan quickly with a simple right click on a file or folder. Installation is very simple, with low system requirements that may suit the smaller business user.
The resulting GUI is easy to follow, with simple configuration on the scheduler and well-written documentation containing consistent and logical advice for setup and use.
The tests that are used to determine a solution's true worth gave BitDefender some problems, with a return in Test 1 of 99.53 percent, our lowest mark. It returned a result of 99.09 percent in Test 2 before faltering on the polymorphic front. Managing only 97.35 percent detection in this test put it way below many of the other solutions.
In the macro Test 5 stakes it again lost out by returning a result of 99.19 percent.
We couldn't run our speed test with this particular solution as it didn't allow a scan of the directory and therefore this remained an untested area.
Since our review, BitDefender version 6.5 has provided improvements to the scanning engines. Therefore in future SCMagazine anti-virus reviews BitDefender Professional may show an overall improvement in our test results.
